US3822941A

US3822941A - Scanning monochromators

Info

Publication number: US3822941A
Application number: US00183150A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Roche; R Sawyer
Original assignee: Perkin Elmer Corp
Current assignee: Applied Biosystems Inc
Priority date: 1969-11-19
Filing date: 1971-09-23
Publication date: 1974-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-09

Abstract

A scanning monochromator includes a plurality of diffraction gratings mounted on a rotatable turret, so that each grating may be moved and precisely indexed into operative position. Each grating so positioned is angularly rotated about its axis by the same scanning arm, driven by a cam having two similar (but different) contours for producing one of two similar scanning functions for the various gratings. Preferably more interchangeable order-separating filters than gratings are included to insure complete and efficient filtering (e.g., 14 filters for 7 gratings). Both the stepping of the grating turret and of the filters (e.g., on a filter wheel) are controlled by (digital) signals, derived from the actual wavenumber being separated, as precisely read by (coarse and fine) digital encoder discs on the wavenumber scanning driving shafts (before and after a large-ratio reduction system). The digital control signals and a signal indicating the operative grating provide a readout of the wavenumber, directly usable by data processing apparatus. The closed loop digital nature of the control signals are free of any non-systematic errors, and allow the instrument to be ''''indexed'''' to any desired wavenumber (and then ''''instructed'''' to scan to any other wavenumber automatically).

Description

United States Patent ['19] Roche et al.

[11] 3,822,941 [4s July, 9, 1974 [5 1 SCANNING MoNocimoMAToRs [75] Inventors: John M. Roche, West Cedding; Rene C. Sawyer, Jr., Shelton, both of Conn.

[73] Assignee: The Perkin-Elmer Corporation,

Norwalk, Conn.

[22 Filed: Sept. 23, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 183,150

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 878,102, Nov. 19, I969, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl 356/100, 350/162 R, 356/95, 356/97 [51] Int. Cl. GOlj 3/06, GOlj 3/18 [58] Field of Search 356/99-101, 356/96, 97; 350/162 R [56] References Cited OTHER PUBLICATIONS Herscher, Spectrochimica Acta No. 11, 1959, pages 90l-908. Yoshinaga et al., Applied Optics, Vol. 3, No. 12, December 1964, pages l425l430. Tull, Applied Optics, Vol. 7, No. 10, October 1968, pages 20194022. 7

Primary Examiner-Ronald L. Wibert Assistant ExaminerF. L. Evans Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Daniel R. Levinson [5 7] ABSTRACT A scanning monochromator includes a plurality of diffraction gratings mounted on a rotatable turret, so that each grating may be moved and precisely indexed into operative position. Each grating so positioned is angularly rotated about its axis by the same scanning arm, driven by a cam having two similar (but different) contours for producing one of two similar scanning functions for the various gratings. Preferably more interchangeable order-separating filters than gratings are included to insure complete and efficient filtering (e.g., l4 filters for 7 gratings). Both the stepping of the grating turret and of the filters (e.g., on a filter wheel) are controlled by (digital) signals, derived from the actual wavenumber being separated, as precisely read by (coarse and fine) digital encoder discs on the wavenumber scanning driving shafts (before and after a large-ratio reduction system). The digital control signals and a signal indicating the operative grating provide a readout of the wavenumber, directly usable by data processing apparatus. The closed loop digital nature of the control signals are free of any non-systematic errors, and allow the instrument to be indexed to any desired wavenumber (and then instructed to scan to any other wavenumber automatically).

9 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PATENTED 91974 I 3,822,941

SWEET 1 0F 7 INVENTORY fail! f1. 20670? 1 BY R6715 C. wyer PATENTED JUL 9!!!" SHEET 3 0f 7 INVENTORSf Jaizn M. ffodze BY Rene C, Sawyer PATENTEDJUL 91974 saw u or 7 INVENTORS', B06716 Saw JYZTORNFK EAIEmEnJm m 3822341 SHEET 5 [If 7 INVENTORS'.

J01! M Roche Rene C. Sawyer l I SCANNING MONOCIMOMATORS This is a division of application Ser. No. 878,102, filed Nov' 19, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,659,945.

SPECIFICATION This invention relates to an automatic scanning monochromator of the type utilized, for example, in spectrophotometers. In particular the invention concerns an instrument utilizing a series of diffraction gratings as the dispersive elements, each grating being utilized over a particular part of the entire frequency (as measured for example in wavenumbers) range of the monochromator.

Generally speaking, the instrument is characterized by the fact that a relatively large plurality of gratings are utilized, so as to obtain both a long wavenumber range, with high efficiency and (optical dispersive) resolution over the entire range. In order to obtain these advantages of utilizing a relatively great number (seven in the exemplary embodiment) diffraction gratings without introducing substantial difficulty to the operator in using the instrument, another general characteristic of the inventive system is its ability to perform all of the interrelated functions required of an automatic scanning monochromator (or spectrophotometer) over such a large wavenumber range, by such interconnections and control functions as to cause each of the relatively large number of gratings to be utilized in sequence, while causing the various other parts of the monochromator to operate, change, move and the like synchronously with both the means for sequentially introducing each of the gratings to the operative position and the mechanism for slowly rotating (so as to perform the actual wavenumber scanning for each grating) that grating in such operative position. Additionally, the exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a larger plurality of filters than diffraction gratings, so as to insure that no more than one order of the diffracted radiation will reach the exit slit of the monochromator over the entire angular rotation of each of the gratings being individually operated. A structural characteristic of the exemplary embodiment of the invention is the utilization of a rotatableturret or carousel," on the periphery of which the large number of gratings are mounted, so that a step-like rotation of the carousel will introduce into the operative position of the instrument any one of the gratings (and, for scanning of the complete wavenumber range, each of the gratings in turn).

y In the exemplary embodiment, only a single arm or lever is utilized to rotate (about a pivot axis passing through and parallel to the linear elements of) that grating which is in the operative position. In particular, the grating carousel is itself mounted on one end of the wavenumber scanning arm in such manner that the operative grating is directly above the pivot axis of the scanning arm, and the other end of the scanning arm is drivingly connected (as by means of a conventional cam follower) to the (wavenumber scanning) cam which therefore causes the angular tilting of the operative grating about its own axis. The use of a single scanning arm or lever for all of the, say, seven gratings greatly simplifies what would otherwise be an extremely complicated structure (if each of the, say,

seven gratings had its own individual scanning arm). On the other hand, a single physical (cam) element for angularly moving the scanning arm or lever is, accord ing to one specific feature of the invention, formed so as to have two different operative cam contour surfaces, thereby allowing the single scanning arm to be angularly moved according to two different functions or programs without introducing any substantial additional complexity, as would be the case if two completely separate cams were utilized to provide this additional degree of operational flexibility.

One of the main characteristics of a monochromatic instrument according to the invention is the utilization of control logic for insuring the correct synchronous operation of movement (and indexing) of the grating turret, initiating the scanning arm movement and therefore the tilting of the particular grating at the operative position, movement of the auxiliary elements (which are filters in the disclosed exemplary embodiment) so as to limit the radiation reaching the exit slit of the monochromator to the particular desired (say, first) order of the grating, and choice of which of the two cam surfaces (both on a single structural element) is utilized to cause the rotative movement of the scanning arm that tilts the operative grating to cause the continuous change of frequency (wavenumber) of the monochromatic radiation passing through the monochromator exit slit. Another characteristic or feature of a preferred embodiment, hereinafter described in detail, is that the above-mentioned control logic is of a substantially digital nature, which in turn is controlled by a (digital) signal directly derived from the relative angular position'of the grating being utilized, as by one or more digitally encoded discs directly reading the position of the (cam) mechanism driving the scanning arm. In this manner, the various operations of the instrument components (e.g., changing of gratings, changing of filters, causing of disengagement and re-engagement of the scanning arm cam follower with one or other of the two cam surfaces on the single cam element, etc), which should occur at a particular value of the wavenumber drive, are directly controlled by a mechanism l directly proportional to the wavenumber of the radiation at the exit slit of the monochromator in a precise manner (aided by both the digital nature of the controllogic and the closed-loop nature of the control system).

In order to insure high precision (i.e., reproducibility) as well as at least close approximation to absolute accuracy in the entire instrument, it is especially important that all of the mechanical elements be positioned in exactly the same manner both every time that one is interchanged for the other, and whenever the same element (e.g., grating) again becomes operative upon a subsequent usage of the instrument. For example, it is important that each of the say, seven gratings on the carousel is positioned precisely at the same operative position when it is utilized (i.e., is the grating impinged upon by the incoming white light which is to be dispersed). Similarly, the scanning arm must be connected to the operative grating in precisely the same manner, regardless of which grating is being utilized; in the exemplary embodiment this is accomplished by the combination of mounting the entire grating carousel on one end of the scanning arm and insuring that the operative grating is precisely indexed into the same correct position (exactly over the scanning arm pivot axis). Also the cam-follower end of the arm should precisely engage in an exactly reproducible manner whichever cam contour it is intended to follow. It is also especially important that any of the mechanical elements between the ultimate prime movers (e.g., motors) and the elements being moved thereby (and especially the cam which controls the scanning arm and therefore the grating angular position) be as free of any mechanical imprecision or looseness" (e.g., backlash) as is practical to obtain, if the instrument is to substantially obtain its practical limit of resolution (and maintain precision in wavenumber readout).

To obtain the desired degree of fineness in the wavenumber readout, preferably both a relatively coarse and a quite fine" readout is obtained of the effective position of the cam (which is of course a known function of the position of the scanning arm which in turn is proportional to the position of'the grating) and therefore of the exact wavenumber. In particular a pair of, preferably digital, angular (shaft) encoders are utilized on opposite sides of a substantial speed-reduction means (e.g., a conventional worm and worm wheel or gear train), so that the encoder on the slow-moving side of the'speed reduction may give a signal indicative of the first few (say, less than two in decimal form or, say, five or six in binary digital form) significant figures, while the fine encoder on the fast-moving side of the speed reduction means may give the lower or less significant places (say, three in decimal form or at least about nine or in binary digital form) so as to provide the fime readout data. In conventional decimal Arabic form, for example, the slow moving encoder could provide, say, the 1,000 and 100 unit Arabic numeral figures; while the rapidly moving encoder (which could in theory even be directly connected to the driving motor shaft) could provide the tens, units and the first place to the right of the decimal point (i.e., tenths) in Arabic numerals, where the instrument is intended to read out directly in wavenumbers (e.g., over the range of from 4,000 to 33 wavenumbers in the infrared region (this being equivalent to 2.5 through 300 microns in wavelength). In this manner extreme precision, e.g., to four whole numbers and one decimal place (i.e., tenths) in decimal form, may be obtained without imposing impractically high resolution requirements from a single encoder or other (digital) readout device.-

The utilization of a completely digital control system, and especially one of a closed-loop type, yields not only precise control of the entire instrument almost by itself," but also yields secondary advantages. Among these, are the ability of the instrument to be readily commanded to set itself to any particular wavenumber and to then scan to any other particular wavenumber (both of course being within its entire scanning range capability), or to perform more complex programmed" spectroscopic scanning. For example, an instrument according to the invention is readily adaptable to being programmed" to scan a particular interval (say, from 2,000 to 500 wavenumbers), to deter mine therefrom wherever large, say, absorption peaks occur (assuming the instrument to be an absorption type of infrared spectrophotometer), and then to return to the spectral interval immediately surrounding such significant peaks" (which typically appear as valleys in an absorption spectrogram) and rescan under more stringent requirements (e.g., a slower scanning rate, higher gain, and ordinate expansion), so as to effectively eliminate the finite response times of for example the recording pen and other mechanical parts and the limited ordinate range from limiting the obse rvable detail (in a, say, pen drawn spectrogram).

The availability of a (digital) signal precisely measuring the wavenumber has the further advantage that this signal may directly drive the abscissa mechanism of, for example, a chart recorder. As will be noted hereinafter, one of the primary readouts of the instrument typically would comprise a chart-type recorder. As is well known in the, say, spectrophotometer art, such chart recorders are connected to the instrument in such a manner that the abscissa movement of a pen relative to either a moving continuous strip or a stationary chart is intended to be directly proportional to the, say, wavenumber of the monochromatic radiation being utilized at each point during the spectral scanning by the monochromator. The availability of a (digital) electrical signal precisely equal to the wavenumber during all times of the entire spectral scanning range assures that the abscissa (wavenumber) values recorded are correct (i.e., eliminates any accumulative errors and imprecision due to slippage or the like). Additionally, the digital nature of the wavenumber readout (which itself is utilized as one of the main inputs to the control logic of the instrument) also greatly facilitates utilization of existing digital data-processing apparatus as either the main or auxiliary readout of the output of the, say, infrared spectrophotometer of which the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention may form a major part.

An object of the invention is the provision of an automatic scanning monochromator system, of the type utilized for example in spectrophotometers, which exhibits extremely high resolution and great precision over a very large spectral range (as measured, for example, in wavenumbers).

A related object of the invention is the provision of such a high precision, high resolution automatic scanning monochromator, the dispersive assembly of which exhibits relatively high, substantially constant eff ciency in presenting to the exit slit of the monochromator the changing substantially monochromatic radiation without either large or greatly varying losses in the intensity of such dispersed and separated monochromatic radiation.

A related object of the invention is the provision of such a high resolution, high precision automatic scanning monochromator over a very large spectral range, for example one in which the lowest and highest wavenumber (or wavelength unit) varies by at least about a factor of from each other, or expressed in different terms at least about seven octaves (i.e., two to the seventh power).

A more specific related object of the invention is the provision of such an extremely large spectral range, automatic scanning monochromator utilizing a relatively large plurality (that is, more than two and in particular, say, seven) of diffraction gratings as the main dispersive elements, in which at least most of the gratings are utilized only over approximately one octave or order, thereby maintaining substantially constant both the resolution and the relative efficiency of the monochromator over this extremely large spectral range.

A related object is the provision of such a multigrating (i.e., more than two gratings) automatic scanning monochromator in which there is operatively associated with each of the different gratings at least one secondary spectrally active element for insuring that of the grating.

A more specific related object is the provision of such a multi-grating automatic scanning monochromator in which a plurality of filters are utilized as the means for insuring that only a single order of diffracted radiation reaches the exit slit, and even more particularly in which there are more-filters than gratings, so as to insure complete isolation of the desired order of each grating without substantially diminishing the intensity of the dispersed (desired order) radiation over the'entire spectral interval that each grating is utilized (e.g., one octave of wavenumbers).

Another major object of the invention is the provision of a high resolution, high precision automatic scanning monochromator which utilizes a-relatively large plurality of dispersive elements so as toallow a large spectral range of use, in which the system for changing such dispersive elements is of the closed loop type, l

A related object of the invention is the provision of such aclosed loop controlled automatic scanning monochromator having both a series of primary and a secondary series of secondary spectrally active elements, in which the effective (angular) position of the major dispersive element (e.g., grating) being utilized (which position is therefore a known function of, e.g., the wavenumber of the radiation appearing at the exit slit of the monochromator) controls sequential chang ing of both the primary and the secondary spectrally active elements,

, A more specific related object of the invention is the provision of such an automatic scanning monochromator having a relatively large plurality of dispersive elements, in which the(angular) position of the particular dispersive element being utilized (and therefore the wavenumber of radiation at the exit slit) is determined bymeans of digital techniques, and the resulting signal is utilized not only for wavenumber readout but also for control of the interchange of thedispersive elements and related functions of the instrument, including, also for example, control of the readout device (e.g., the abscissa drive of a chart recorder),

A closely related object is the provision of such a multi-dispersive element, automatic scanning monochromator in which the means for varying the (angular) position of the operative dispersive element is provided with at least one digitally reading encoder, which inturn provides the major input to the control system logic, as well as the wavenumber readout.

A more specific related object is the provision of such a multi-dispersive element, automatic scanning monochromator in which the ultimate means for moving (angularly) the particular dispersive element being utilized includes a speed reduction means; and a digital encoder is positioned on each side of said speed reduction means, thereby obtaining both a coarse and a fine wavenumber readout signal, which combined give a highly precise (e.g., five decimal bits) wavenumber A somewhat different object of the invention is the provision of an automatic scanning monochromator utilizing a relatively large plurality of dispersive ele-- ments, a single actuating or scanning arm for the dis persive element which is in use at any given time, and

a single physical cam means for causing motion of said arm according to a desired function, thereby simplifying the means for moving each of the large plurality of dispersive elements.

A closely related object of theinvention is the provision of such multi-dispersive elements, automatic scanning monochromator utilizing only a single scanning arm and a single cam means, which cam. means however includes two different (rigidly attached) cam contour surfaces, whereby a single substantially integral cam element can provide two different (although related) movement functionsor programs for the same scanning arm, so that at least one of the dispersive ele ments may be moved (e.g., rotated) according to the program of one of said cam contours while at least one of the dispersive elements may be moved according to the other of said cam contours, therebyincreasing the versatility of the scanning program of the various dispersive elements without introducing any substantia additional mechanical complexity.

Other subsidiary objects of the invention include the provision of all the necessary precise devicesand interconnections to insure that the multi-dispersive elements automatic scanning monochromator has extremely high reproducibility and at least high.(absolute) accuracy, for example, by insuring that each of the dispersive elements is indexed into substantially exactlythe same operative position when it is to be used, by insuring against anyundesirable slippage, play, or backlash in anyof the mechanical connections between the various elements, and by utilizing digital type control logic (which by its nature is not subject to drift or other randomly variable errors) to control all of the precise parts of the monochromator.

Other objects, features and advantages of an automatic scanning monochromator according to the invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of a single preferred embodiment of the invention in a typical environment (e.g., spectrophotometer), in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially diagrammatic perspective view of an exemplary instrument (eg, a spectrophotometer), in which an automatic scanning monochromator according to the invention may be utilized;

FIG. 2 is a partially diagrammatic plan view of that part of the exemplary instrument shown in FIG, 1, generally comprising the left-hand two-thirds of the righthand unit thereof, which portion contains the major mechanical components of an exemplary embodiment of an automatic scanning monochromator according to the invention;

F [6.3 is an optical schematic view of a plan-view nature of an entire spectrophotometer system, embodying an automatic scanning monochromator according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, with some parts broken away,-

on a relatively enlarged scale of,.generally, the lefthand half of the mechanical components shown in FIG.

- 2, which include the main mechanical parts for interchangeably carrying the dispersive elements (specifically a series of seven diffraction gratings and a larger plurality of order-separating filters);

,FIG. 5 is a vertical section, taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 4, which section passes substantially through the central axes of both the grating-supporting carousel and the main scanning (wavenumber) cam element, showing also the scanning lever or arm connecting the entire carousel and therefore the operative grating to said cam, as well as various mechanical parts which are not seen in FIG. 4 since they are below obscuring plates or other elements;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 in FIG. 4, showing in detail how the main cam element is engaged by the cam follower end of the scanning lever arm;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5, showing the spring-loaded toggle lever and the (seven-lobe) cam-like element rigidly attached to the grating carousel for insuring that the carousel is biased or indexed to one of the (seven) particular positions in which a grating is in its operative position, as well as controlling the motive power (specifically, a motor and electrically actuated clutch) which drives the grating carousel from the existing one of its (seven) positions to typically the next one (but in general to any) of its other positions;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, looking in the direction of the line 8-8 in FIG. 7, showing both this springloaded follower-like toggle indexing lever and part of the means for driving the carousel to each of the plurality (i.e., seven) positions in which a different grating is placed in operative relationship in the radiation beam intended to be dispersed;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9-9 in FIG. 4 showing part of the motive means for driving the carousel to each of said discrete multiple positions corresponding to positioning a particular grating in such operative position;

FIG. 10 is a detail horizontal view of the parts, shown near the top of FIG. 4, for precisely driving the cam plate (not shown in FIG. 10 but shown in FIGS. 4 and so as to cause the main scanning cam element (see FIG. 4) to be rotated in a precise manner at a given angular speed, without any backlash relative to the driving assembly therefor and the (fine digital) readout (shown at the left in FIGS. and 4) thereof;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken on the lines 11-11 in FIG. 4, showing the manner in which the particular (of seven) stop elements (one associated with each of the gratings on the carousel) is precisely stopped in the desired positionso as to cause exactly precise positional indexing of the particular grating that is in its operative position in the radiation beam;

FIG. 12 is a detailed perspective view of FIG. 11, showing how the movable blocking means for each of said stop elements has an operative blocking surface concentric with its pivot, so as to insure that each of the stop elements is positioned (in space) at exactly the same precise desired (linear) position whenever the blocking element is operative, even if the blocking element itself is not precisely in the same (angular) position every time it engages one of the stop elements;

FIG. 13 is an elevational view taken on the lines 13-13 in FIG. 4 showing the filter wheel (holding fourteen filters and one additional open space for test in the exemplary embodiment) which acts as the auxiliary spectrally active means (i.e., grating order separating means in the specific embodiment of the invention), along with the means for incrementally moving the filter wheel so as to position a particular desired filter in the radiation beam diffracted from the grating I (see the optical schematic of FIG. 3);

GENERAL DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows in perspective in somewhat generalized form a specific exemplary instrument (for example an infrared recording spectrophotometer) in which the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention may be utilized. In this figure, two major, somewhat separate units are shown; the first of these units at 10 is a console which includes both most of the operatorcontrolled settings for the various parameters of the instrument, its readouts, including for example a plurality of conventional needle-type (i.e., analog) meters; a main (decimal system) digital, visually readable, wavenumber readout 14; and a two-dimensional chart recorder, generally shown at 16. The chart recorder may be of the dualmode type, an example of which is more completely described, shown and claimed in US. Pat. No. 3,380,065 issued to Alpert, et al., and assigned to the assignee of the instant application; and, more particularly, it may include the features of the differential cable type chart recorder fully described, shown and claimed in US. Pat. No. 3,396,402 issued to Charles deMey II, and also assigned to the assignee of the instant application. Since the details of many of the control functions and most of the readout devices form no part of the present application, little of the details of the elements on and in console unit 10 are described in the instant specification (except as to explain its operation near the end of the specification in conjunction with the diagrammatic control block diagrams of FIG. 15.

The main optical, mechanical and the majority of the electromechanical parts of the instrument may be contained in a separate unit, hereafter sometimes referred to as the main or table unit, generally shown at 20 in FIG. 1. Generally speaking the right-hand or foreground part of this unit at 22 will include the source (or sources) of radiant energy and the optics and other elements associated therewith, so as to form a pair of timespaced but otherwise substantially identical radiation beams (hereinafter referred to as the sample and reference beams), passing through sample and reference compartments 21,23 (indicated as having housings or covers having cut-outs, which may or may not actually exist in the preferred embodiment of a spectrophotometer or other optical instrument utilizing the monochromator of the invention. Each of the two separate (and time-spaced) radiation beams will then enter the main monochromator portion of the instrument 24 after passing through a sample and reference cell assembly (see FIG. 2 at 26,28). 7

The main monochromator portion or system 24 is generally shown in FIG. 2, and will be described generally in conjunction with this figure. However, for purposes of completeness of explaining an exemplary use of the invention, the general optical functioning of the exemplary double-beam (absorption) spectrophotometer (and, in particular, an infrared absorption spectrophotometer) will first be described, merely for background purposes, relative to the optical schematic of FIG. 3.

In FIG.'3 a pair of radiant energy sources S1 and S2 are shown near the upper right-hand corner; the reason for showing two sources is merely to indicate, as will generally be true in a preferred embodiment of the invention, that more than one type of infrared source may be required, since the efficient operation of most infrared sources is limited to a spectral interval or range less than the entire spectral range of the exemplary monochromator (and therefore the exemplary spectrophotometer in which it is incorporated). Thus S1 may be considered as a near and moderately far" infrared source, utilized from, say, 2.5 microns to l00 microns (i.e., 4,000 wavenumbers down to 100cm") while a second source S2 may be utilized at the relatively long" infrared part of the large'spectral range of the instrument, for example, from 100 to, say, 300 microns (that is, from 100 to 33 wavenumbers). The illustration of two such sources in FIG. 3 is primarily to emphasize that an automatic scanning monochromator according to the invention is capable of such a large spectral range that it may practically require two different types of sources in order to provide a reasonable quantity (intensity) of radiation at both the upper and lower parts of its spectral range.

For exemplary purposes, it will be assumed that the lower source S1 is utilized first for the relatively shorter wavelength (e.g., 2.5 microns and up, or 4,000 wavenumbers and down; while the upper source S2 is used subsequently); obviously the converse relationship may be used instead. In any case it will be assumed for purposes of concreteness of explanation that the twoposition (say, pivotable) first collecting or condensing element (exemplified by a concave mirror) Cl is in its full line position so as to cause the radiation from source S1 to be reflected along the path of the first or main radiation beam Rl'. Obviously when the collecting or condensing mirror Cl is in its other position (as indicated by the dotted-line position in FIG. 3) and the other source (S2) is energized, then the radiation from this source will be converged along the same main radiation beam path R1. In any event, in the exemplary optical system a first (preferably front surface) plane mirror Pl will reflect the converging energy until it reaches the conjugate image of the source (relative to Cl) at 11. In the exemplary system (as shown), the object plane (S1, S2) ofthe mirror C1 and its conjugate image plane (at Il) may be at an object to image distance ratio of 2: l, so that the source image at II will be magnified by a factor of two relative to the original source (S1 or 52). Rays emanating from this source image [1 will be reconverged or focussed by a focussing mirror F1, so that after reflection from a (preferably front-surface) second plane mirror P2, the rays will be focussed to a second image I2, say, at (or at least closely-adjacent) the small (front-surface) toroidal field mirror M3. The radiation will then impinge upon a chopper CH1, comprising, for example, a rigidly attached rotating shaft RS1 and a chopping disc CD1, a portion of the latter of which is directly in the beam emanating from I2.

As is well known, such a chopper disc CD1 may comprise a plurality of transparent (e.g., open) sector- 10 shaped portions, peripherially separated by highly reflective, generally sector-shaped portions; in this manner the original radiation beam R2 emanating from the source image I2 is alternately caused to appear as a transmitted radiation beam TR and a reflected radiation beam RR. One of these beams (TR or RR) will act as the sample-transversing beam, while the other will act as the reference-transversing beam in a manner well understood in the double-beam optical testing (e.g., spectrophotometer) art. In the particular exemplary embodiment shown, each of the transmitted and reflected beams (by the chopper) is reflected by a further (front surface) plane reflector PT and PR respectively, so as to be deflected to a converging or focussing mirror FT and FR respectively, each of which refocusses its respective beam TRl and RRl, respectively, to a further image of the source IT and IR, respectively, in the vicinity of the sample and reference cells (at 26,28, not necessarilyrespectively). Each of the beams emanating from these respective images (IT and IR) at TR2 and RR2 will then be converged or focussed by its respective concave focussing mirror FT2, PR2, so as to form a converging further transmitted and reflected beam TR3 and RR3, respectively. After each of these beams has been reflected by its corresponding further (front-surface) plane mirror PTZand PR2, the respective deflected beams TR4 and RR4 will cross the path of a recombining or second main chopper CH2, comprising a second chopping disc CD2. This chopping disc will typically consist of one or more transparent, generally sector-shaped portions, alternating with reflective portions. For this reason, part of the time, the radiation originally transmitted by the first chopping disc (CD1) at TR4 will be reflected by a reflecting surface of the second chopper disc CD2 so as to converge to a further image of the light source at I4, while, during the remainder of the time, the bear RR4 (which was originally reflected by a reflecting portion of the first chopping disc CD1) will be transmitted through a transparent portion of the second chopping disc CD2 to this same point l4.

Although there are many well-known techniques for causing an original source beam, as at R1, to be timechopped into two separate beams as at TR and at RR, respectively, and then to be recombined by a second chopper (as at CH2, CD2) preferably the two choppers (CH1 and CH2) andin particular the two chopping discs CD1 and CD2 are in the phase relationships fully disclosed and described in already published British Pat. No. 1,157,086 issued on July 2, 1969, in the name of Perkin-Elmer Limited, (Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England), of which the individual inventor was Michael A. Ford, the corresponding US. application having been filed under Ser. No. 571,279 on Aug. 9, I966 and now US. Pat. No. 3,542,480. Regardless of the exact chopping scheme or photo-metric system" utilized, ultimately at point l4 there will appear, in time-spaced sequence, radiation which has traversed one path through point IT and radiation which has traversed a different path including point IR (so that one of the beams has passed through the sample while the other has passed through the reference). Again, it is relatively immaterial as to which of the two beams is considered the sample beam and which is considered the reference beam, except that, of course, it is the beam passing through the sample that is attenuated by absorption by the sample (in an absorption spectropho' tometer) so that the sample beam is of lower amplitude than the reference beam, at least at those wavenumbers (or spectral bands) at which the particular sample being analyzed has substantial absorption. As is well known in all types of double-beam absorption optical instruments (e.g., spectrophotometers), some technique is therefore required (whether utilizing an optical attenuator in the reference path, or electronic signal processing), (6g, forming a ratio of the amplitudes of the intensity of the time-spaced radiation beams transmitted by the sample and by the reference, respectively, the relative intensity of the beams at, for example, TR4 and RR4 will be ultimately compared and measured.

In a scanning spectrophotometer this is done at each of a continuously varying spectral line (in theory) or very narrow spectral interval (in practice) over some spectral range. For this purpose, a scanning monochromator, which sequentially presents to a radiation detector, in time-spaced relationship. beams at least proportional to the intensity of beams TR4 and RR4 is required. In an actual spectrophotometer being readied for commercial sale, generally corresponding to the exemplary embodiment herein illustrated, the scanning monochromator is positioned beyond the recombining chopper CH2 as shown in FIG. 3, so that white" radiation goes through both the sample and the reference. As is well known in the art, the monochromator may be positioned instead in the single beam prior to splitting by the first chopper CH1, so that only monochromatic light goes through the sample and reference at any given time instead. In other words, in the preferred illustrated embodiment the source radiation is first broken into a pair of time-spaced beams, one of which is sent through the sample and one of which bypasses the sample, followed by recombining of these beams, and then ultimately scanning" these recombined beams by a variable monochromator so as to measure continuously their relative intensities at discrete narrow intervals over a long spectral range; however, it is at least theoretically just as practical to place the monochromator somewhere in the vicinity of II in FIG. 3 instead without affecting the theoretical operation of the instrument. Therefore none of the details of the particular source optics, exact optical elements, and even the preferred chopping techniques (as disclosed in the abovementioned British Pat. 1,157,086 and US. application) are either critical or closely related to the inventive features herein claimed which relate to the monochromator and its immediate environment; and even the relative position of the scanning monochromator in the instrument is neither essential nor particularly important to the invention. Indeed, one may consider all of the so-far described elements as not especially pertinent to the invention, but merely as exemplary components of an instrument, namely, an absorption spectrophotometer, forming one of the major uses or combinations in which the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention may be utilized.

The recombined radiation reaching (image) point I4 will be reflected, in the exemplary embodiment, by a (preferably front-surface) toroidal field mirror M4, thereby forming the combined, time-spaced beam CB. Although the next component C5 impinged upon by this beam CB is shown schematically as a pair of (rigidly attached to a single pivot) interchargeable elements, it will suffice for present purposes to assume that the particular element met by beam CB is a further (preferably front-surface) plane mirror P5, which reflects the beam to a further converging or focussing mirror F3; so that the beam reflected by this concave mirror is a converging combined beam CC. Again temporarily assuming that the interchangeably mounted two-element component C6 (similar to C5) next encountered by the beam has its (preferably frontsurface) plane mirror P6 in the path of beam CC, the converging combined beam will merely continue to converge after deflection as beam CCl. This beam (CCl) will ultimately converge to an image preferably of relatively long (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper) and narrow (in the generally vertical direction in FIG. 3) further image I5 of the source.

As is well understood by those skilled in the optical arts in general and in the spectroscopic instrument art in particular, the various concave mirrors or other converging elements (e.g., Cl, Fl, identical elements FT and FR, similarly matched elements FT2 and FR2, and element F3) are all preferably chosen so as to perform their desired function not only in an efficient manner (but also so as to avoid (to the extent practical) any optical aberrations. In particular, most of these mirrors are not simple spherical mirrors, but in general are toroids, since it is assumed that the source (or sources) SI (and S2) are relatively elongated in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 while they are relatively narrow or thin (i.e., point-like in two-dimensions) in cross-section (as seen in the plane of FIG. 3). Depending on the exact geometry of the radiation axes entering and leaving these various concave mirrors (or other converging optical elements) some or all may be off-axis toroids (for example, at C1), depending on the exact optical design of the system. Again, the exact details of the optics to the right of point IS in FIG. 3 do not necessarily form any part of the invention herein claimed.

The radiation emanating from this last-mentioned point Is will typically be restricted by a pair of monochromatic entrance slits ES, variable in width" (i.e., the generally vertical direction in FIG. 3), as is wellknown in the art; and the radiation will enter the monochromator (i.e., the elements effectively to the left of entrace slits ES in FIG. 3) as a (variably) restricted-inwidth entrance beam EB. This (diverging from point I5) entering beam EB may be reflected by a further (front surface) plane mirror P7, so as to form a reflected entering beam RE, heading in the general direction toward the main collimating and focussing mirror of the monochromator MM. This monochromator mirror (MM) is preferably of such positive converging power (i.e., focal length) that its object" I5 is in its first principal plane; therefore the reflected entering beam RE upon impinging (on the generally right-hand half in FIG. 3) of the monochromator mirror will be collimated thereby as reflected collimated beam RC. This collimated beam RC will then be incident upon that one of the diffraction gratings which is in the operative grating position, namely, OG.

As is well understood in the spectroscopic art, a diffraction grating (for example, those of the reflection type, as utilized in the exemplary embodiment) will disperse incident white radiation into its component spectral parts by diffracting each spectral component (i.e., each spectral line or narrow spectral interval) by 13 a different diffraction angle. In particular, assuming (as in the exemplary embodiment) that the incident radiation is collimated (i.e., made up of mutually parallel rays), then, for a particular order (say, the first order), a (plane reflective type) diffraction grating will cause the radiation to be dispersed as a (theoretically infinite) series of parallel or collimated beams, each of which exhibits a different diffraction angle (as measured between the normal to the grating surface and the direction that each of such parallel beams leaves the grating). Thus for a particular angular setting of the grating, which is pivotable about its active diffraction surface about a line parallel to the linear elements of the diffraction grating, schematically indicated as the grating (pivot) axis GA in FIG. 3, one particular substantially monochromatic parallel or collimated beam MC (containing only radiation at a single or very narrow interval of wavenumbers) will leave the diffraction grating at the particular exemplary diffraction angle indicated by this beam. Obviously there will be (a theoretically infinite) set of other monochromatic parallel beams of different wavenumbers leaving at different diffraction angles (not shown). The particular monochromatic collimated beam MC illustrated is the one that leaves the grating at such a diffraction angle as to ultimately reach and pass through the exit slits (XS) of the monochromatic (after having been refocussed by the main monochromator mirror MM as a converging or focussing monochromatic beam FM and being reflected from a further auxiliary plane mirror P8 as a reflected monochromatic beam RM).

If a diffraction grating (and in particular the one in the operative position at OG) only diffracted radiation at a single, say the first, order" and the exit slits XS are relatively narrow, then onlyradiation at a substantially single wavenumber (or, practically speaking, a very narrow interval) would pass through the exit slit. Unfortunately however, real diffraction gratings, even though blazed so as to be especially efficient only over a relatively small angle or wavenumber range (so as to be relatively efficient in a particular, say, first order) so that much of the diffracted radiation is concentrated in the desired particular order, nevertheless generate other orders of diffracted radiation, and

one or more of (different harmonics or orders of wavenumber) of such different (say, second or third) order diffracted radiation will also follow the same path as the desired monochromatic radiation (MC,. FM, and RM). Therefore some means is required to separate out such different order (of entirely different wavenumber or wavelength) radiation either prior to or subsequent to the exit slit XS. In the exemplary embodiment, a series of filters, carried by a filter wheel FW, are utilized for this purpose. Preferably-more filters than gratings (G1, G2, G3, etc. in FIG. 3) are provided, so as to insure that the spectral bandpass of each filter (which necessarily must be no greater than the entire spectral range over which a particular single grating is utilized) is at least somewhat larger than-the part of the spectral range of a particular grating with which the particular operative filter OF at any given time is utilized. This insures that the filters do not substantially attenuate any radiation within said part of said spectral range of the particular grating with which it is utilized, while the filters still act as highly effective order-separators. In the exemplary embodiment (as will appear hereinafter) two filters are utilized for each grating (so that for an instrument having seven diffraction gratings, 14 order-separating filters would be utilized). The filter wheel FW will of course be rotated about its axis, schematically illustrated at FA in FIG. 3 in a step-like manner so as to advance a different filter into the operative position OF as required (every time a new grating is positioned'at OG and every time such operative grating is rotated to approximately the mid-point (as measured in wavenumbers) of its useful range, respectively. Because of the order-separating properties of these relatively narrow spectral bandpass filters, the wrong order radiation or harmonics of the desired wavenumber is essentially completely blocked or removed by the particular filter at OF; therefore the radiation beam beyond the filter wheel is monochromatic" (i.e.. contains the radiation over only a very small spectral inter val and no other), so that this beam may be considered truly monochromatic, and is identified as TM in F IG. 3.

In the exemplary embodiment of the spectrophotometer in which the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention is utilized, a pair of different radiation detectors are shown, primarily to again emphasize that the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention is capable of being utilized over such a large (say, infrared) spectral range that there is presently available no single detector that exhibits a sufficiently high practical response to radiation over this large spectral range, and in particular at the two extremes of the entire spectral range of which the inventive monochromator is capable of precise use. Thus, over most of the (assumed to be infrared radiation) spectral range, a primary, substantially conventional thermally responsive detector (e.g., a bolometer, as schematically illustrated at B) may be utilized; but at one end (e.g., the quite long or far infrared, such as over microns or less than about or so wavenumbers range, a special detector SD is required (assumed to be, for example, .a long wavelength infrared detector of the Golay detector type, see for example US. Pat. No. 2,557,096.)

OPTICAL OPERATION -Although a general description of the operation of the invention has already been given in the introduction and a more specific description of this operation will be given after the structure shown in the remaining figures has been fully described, a brief synopsis of the optical operation is herewith given as a basis for understanding the more specific detailed operation of the various optical, mechanical and electrical parts and combinations hereinafter more fully described. Radiation from that one of the sources (S1, S2) will be converged or condensed by the first mirror CI (which will be in its full line position for utilization of source 81 and will be pivoted to its dotted line position when source S2 is used), so as to form the first image ll of whichever source is energized. This source is reimaged by the focussing mirror F1 at point I2 (in the ensuing description, the various planemirrors, such as P1, P2 will be ignored, since their primary function is merely to fold the optical paths so as to reduce the physical length of an instrument incorporating a system of the type schematically shown in FIG. 3). The off-axis field toroid M3 is primarily to conserve the full intensity of the respective incident and reflected (R2) beams. The first or separating chopper CI-Il will, as is well understood in the art and as is more fully described, for example, in the aforementioned British Pat. No. 1,157,086, corresponding to the above-noted U.S. copending application, separate the source radiation beam at R2 into two time-spaced alternate beams, namely, the transmitted beam TR and the reflected beam RR, as the various transmitting and reflecting parts (e.g., sectors) of the rotating chopper disc CD passes through beam R2. Each of these time-shaped beams will (after appropriate deflection by mirrors PT and PR respectively) be refocussed by the respective focussing mirrors PP and FR so as to form a pair of converging beams TRl and RRl so as ultimately to be converged to respective further images of the original source at IT and IR, respctively.

Solely for purposes of concreteness, it will be assumed that the transmitted beam (i.e., TR, TRl, lT, TR2, etc.) and its associated optical elements (Ff, PT, ST2, etc.) will be the beam which bypasses the actual sample being analyzed, thereby being the so-called reference beam" in a double-beam spectroscopic instrument (and in particular, a double-beam absorption spectrophotometer of the exemplary embodiment). Thus, it will be assumed that the sample to be analyzed is introduced (typically in a conventional sample cell) in the general vicinity of 26 in the lower beam (RRl, etc.), while the corresponding upper beam (TRl, etc.) will have, in the vicinity of 28, a reference cell, containing no actual sample to be analyzed but otherwise being identical to the, say, sample cell introduced in the vicinity of 26 in the lower beam; in other wrods, the reference cell, if used, will typically be identical in structure to the sample cell and will contain the same solvent, if any, added to the actual analyzed sample if the sample is dissolved in such solvent, as is often done in conventional spectrometric analysis. Obviously, the immediately foregoing statements are merely intended to be exemplary, since the sample to be analyzed may be either gaseous or solid (and not dissolved). In general, the reference beam" typically will have introduced whatever container is utilized (if any) for the sample plus (if applicable and practical) any environmental material not intended to be analyzed (e.g., when the sample material intended to be analyzed is mixed with another substance not intended to be analyzed, the reference path would contain a similar cell containing only the background" substance not intended to be analyzed. For example, if the instrument is being utilized to determine contaminates in, say, air, the reference cell would preferably contain pure air without the contaminates, which contaminates are actually the material intended to be spectroscopically analyzed.

After passing through the respective sample and

reference stations

26, 28, the two time-spaced beams TR2, and RR2, respectively will be refocussed by further mirrors FT2 and FR2 so as to strike as converging beams TR4 and RR4, respectively, opposite sides of the second or recombining chopper disc CD2, which will as is well understood in the spectrophotometer art (one complete embodiment of such recombining chopper being fully described in the aforementioned British Patent and corresponding copending US. application), cause the two time-spaced beams to form a single combined beam which will be focussed at image point l4. Mirror, M4, is preferably an off-axis toroid mirror, acting as an energy-conserving optical element (i.e., analogous to a field lens in a lensatic optical system), just as M3, previously described.

The particular shape of M4 and the shape of the other various concave mirrors form no part of the present invention. However, merely for purposes of the completeness and concreteness of description, it will be mentioned that the already described non-planar mirrors have (and are in a commercial instrument soon to be placed on sale by the assignee of the instant application) the following optical characteristics. The (source) condensing mirror C 1 may be a (20) off-axis toroid of say 87 mm. focal length; the first focussing mirror F1 may be a similarly off-axis (20) toroid of, for example, 150 mm. focal length; the field mirror M3 near the chopper (CH1) may be a (30) off-axis toroid having a focal length of mm.; each of the next focussing mirrors for, respectively, the transmitted and reflected beams (TR and RR) may be identical 30 off-axis toroids of mm. focal lengths; the second focussing mirrors FT 2 and PR2, for the transmitted and reflected beams (TR2 and RR2) after they have passed through the reference and sample stations may be identical (15) off-axis toroidal mirrors of l25 mm. focal lengths each; as already mentioned, the mirror M4 receiving the combined image 14 may be a (30) off-axis toroid (acting as a field element) of 62.5 mm. focal length; the final focussing element, prior to the monochromator itself, at F3 may be a 15) off-axis 167 mm. focal length toroid. The main monochromator mirror MM may be a 500 mm. focal length (high quality) spherical mirror, so as to form with the grating at the operative position 00 a monochromator of the Ebert configuration or type; the radiation gathering or focussing mirror DMl for the first or primary detector (which may be a bolometer, a thermocouple or other infrared sensitive detector when the exemplary instrument comprises an infrared spectrophotometer) is preferably an (on-axis) ellipsoidal mirror; while the second detector mirror DM2 for gathering radiation and substantially focussing it on the special detector SD (when it is used instead) is preferably a special off-axis elliptical mirror, known as a Golay ellipse" when the special detector SD is a Golay detector of the type previously mentioned. The plane deflecting mirror DD is of course pivoted to its dotted line position when the special detector SD is intended to be used. Since none of these optics form any part of the instant invention per se, their exact configuration and in particular their specific focal lengths (and off-axis nature, if any) have been described merely for completeness and ease of understanding of how a specific embodiment may be constructed of an exemplary optical system which may be utilized with the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention.

Also merely for purposes of completeness of description of an exemplary embodiment of the instrument in which the invention may be incorporated, it is mentioned that where the entire instrument is intended to be an infrared spectrophotometer (and in particular one of the double-beam absorption type), the sources S1 and S2 may be a Globar and a mercury (continuous spectrum) source, so as to supply a continuous spectrum (in the exemplary case from the near to the relatively far infrared) of source energy over a relatively long spectral range; obviously only one of the sources is used for each of the two (mathematically) contiguous spectral sub-ranges, which together comprise the uninterrupted long spectral range of the instrument.

Since the above description of the optical system of the instrument already includes much of the general operation of the instrument, it is felt appropriate to mention here those other general operation characteristics, as a guide to understanding of the specific structure hereinafter described. Thus as both already explained and generally well known to those skilled in the optical spectrometer art, the source, its immediate optics, and the two choppers CH1 and CH2 (which may have effectively a 1:2 chopping rate, e.g., a 15 cycle per second (H2) sector chopping rate and a 30 cycle per second (H2) sector chopping rate, respectively, as more fully explained in the already referenced British Patent and corresponding U. S. Pat. application), the various identically paired optics in each of the separated (i.e., transmitted and reflected or reference and sample beams), and.the optics in the combined beam (i.e., after [4) will present to the entrance slit ES of the monochromator white radiation in the form of a sequential series of substantially alternating pulses, each having at least an amplitude component which is, respectively, proportional to the intensity of the radiation passed through the reference and sample stations (28,26), i.e., respectively containing a component proportional to the relative amplitude of beam TR2 and of beam RR2. As previously explained, the monochromator will cause (in theory) a single wavenumber (or in practice, a very narrow spectral interval) from this broadband white radiation to be separated at its exit slit XS (including the effect of not only the operative grating at G, but also the order-separating filter that is in the operative position at OF), so that the detector being utilized (either PD or SD) will produce an electrical signal containing a time-spaced sequence of amplitude-modulated separable components (among others) which are relatively proportional to the intensity of substantially monochromatic radiation (at a specific wavenumber or at least a very narrow wavenumber interval) of originally equal (intensity) radiation beams as passed by the reference and sample stations (28, 26). Thus in the exemplary instrument incorporating the invention, the detector will generate an ac. signal (ideally consisting solely of square wave components, but in practice, because of the limited bandwidths and in particular the relatively moderate response times of the detectors, typicallybeing in the form of ac. signal components varying from true square waves), which detector signal will comprise regularly spaced components representing, say, the relative transmissivity of the sample relative to the blank reference (in an absorption instrument) or some other similar meaningful optical property of a sample (in other types of instruments utilizi'ng'an optical monochromator). In the exemplary absorption spectrophotometer forming an exemplary environmental instrument for utilization of the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention,

particular grating that is in the operative position OG will be slowly pivoted about axis GA (at least substantially in the plane of and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elements, e. g., lines, forming the diffraction grating); this will cause the particular frequency, as mearotated through the particular scanning angle range at which it is utilized, it will be moved out of operative position 0G by rotating the entire series of gratings in the direction indicated by the arrow GD, so as to bring into operative position the next grating. Obviously, the process may then be repeated with this next grating until each grating in turn has been brought into operative position, has been slowly tilted or scanned, and has been moved out of operative position to bring in the next grating, and so on.

In order to assure that no more than one order" of diffracted radiation from each grating (as it is utilized) passing through the exit slit XS reaches the detector (PD or SD, as the case may be), the aforementioned filter wheel'FW comprises a series of relatively sharp spectral cut-off optical filters, so as to block at any given time all radiation above a certain frequency, and in particular any that is at least almost a full octave" higher in frequency (say, in wavenumbers) from passing therethrough. In theory a filter could be used that has a cut-off slightly less than one octave higher (i.e., a cut-off of, say, 2X minus d, where X is any particular wavenumber from a particular grating and d is a number smaller than X throughout the wavenumber range that X may assume) than the wavenumber range with which it is used. However, in practice a filter having cut-off only slightly less than one octave higher typically exhibits relatively poor complete blocking near its nominal cut-off (i.e., in the vicinity of 2X minus d). Accordingly, to insure that the various order-separating filters (as they are positioned at the operative filter position OF) do not substantially pass any substantial amount of the radiation more than one octave above the filter cutoff frequency (wavenumber), at the smallest value of X (in particular the smallest value of 2X, in practice it is preferable to utilize more than one filter for each grating. It is at least theoretically feasible to utilize any number of filters greater than the number of gratings used. However, to insure almost perfect (or at least equal) transmission of the entire wavenumber interval (at the desired, say, first order of the grating) which is intended to be passed by the filter, and at the same time to insure almost perfect suppression of all frequencies substantially beyond (i.e., higher than the desired cut-off) it is preferable to utilize substantially more filters than gratings. in addition, for reasons of simplifying the controlling of the changing of many filters (andgratings) even if non-mechanical means (e.g., control logic, as herein later explained) is used to cause the filter (and grating) changes, it is preferable that the number of filters used and the number of gratings utilized are expressible as a ratio of two relative small whole numbers (e.g., 2: 1, 3:2, etc.). In order to assure that the transmissivity curve of each filter has a relatively high value over its utilized range, while also assuring that it has an extremely low transmissivity beyond its used range (so as to suppress substantially completely all other orders of diffracted radiation from the grating with which it is associated), the exemplary automatic scanning monochromator utilizes two filters for each grating. In particular, the designed optical frequency cut-off of each filter is substantially less than twice that part of the grating sub-range but more than this grating range with which the particular filter is used, so that a different filter is used for approximately a one-half portion of the used spectral range of each grating. Thus, in the purely exemplary embodiment utilizing seven different diffraction gratings, there are 14 relatively sharp cutoff filters arranged about the periphery of the (step-wise) rotated filter wheel FW. As will appear from the mechanical and electrical parts and specific operations hereinafter described, the filter wheel FW will be rotated so as to position a new filter at the operative filter position OF approximately at the mid-point of the scanning range, (i.e., near its middle wavenumber) as each grating is scanned (i.e., tilted about axis GA) when it is in the operative grating position 00. Although the exact number of gratings and filters is of course not critical, one of the characteristics of the instrument in its extremely high resolution, high monochromatic purity and high efficiency (i.e., ability to separate, without substantial attenuation, a very narrow spectral (wavenumber) interval from the white"radiation available from the original source). Accordingly, the fact that a relatively large number of gratings are utilized, each only over that order (e.g., the first order) for which the grating is blazed," and the utilization of a sufficiently large number of relatively highly transmissive filters over their efficiently utilized range, contribute to this high resolution, high spectral purity and high efficiency over the extremely long (for example, seven octaves of) useful entire spectral range of the monochromator (and therefore of the instrument, e.g., spectrophotometer, in which it is utilized).

GENERAL MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENT Returning to FIG. 2 which shows most of the mechanical components in somewhat simplified form in certain cases, those optical elements which are visible in FIG. 2 (comprising mainly the left-hand ones shown in FIG. 3 in detail) are referenced with the same reference characters in both figures, so that such common optical elements are not redescribed relative to FIG. 2. Rather, only the more important mechanical elements will be described in FIG. 2. Thus all of the gratings (e.g., GI G7) are mounted on a single rotatable component or sub-assembly, hereinafter referred to as the turret or carousel 30. The large element or component 32 near the center of FIG. 2, which as illustrated has one pair of substantially parallel straight line opposite edges and a remaining pair of substantially circular arcuate edges is. as will appear more particularly hereinafter (relative to FIG. 4), a substantially rigid solid plate, bearing on one (namely, the bottom in the exemplary embodiment) large surface, two related but different cam contour surfaces. As can be seen in FIG. 4 and as will be described hereinafter, each of these cam surfaces may act as the cam contour for determining the angular position of a single grating (linear wavenumber will be assumed hereinafter, but linear wavelength is of course also possible) scanning arm or lever 34, which is operatively connected to the entire carousel 30 and therefore to the particular grating in the op- 20 tically operative position OG (compare FIGS. 2, 3 and 4).

The recombining or second chopper CH2 in FIG. 2 (and the splitting or first chopper CH1 in FIG. 3), forming no part of the present invention may be driven at a constant speed of rotation, as for example by means of a synchronous (or other constant speed) chopper motor (not shown) and rotatively supported by a chopper bearing mount CM. Any suitable technique for establishing a fixed known chopper relationship, (as by the use of a single(synchronous) motor and a common (say, toothed, belt) drive for both choppers (CH1 and CH2). A chopper reference signal, i.e., one that has the same frequency and a known fixed phase relationship to the splitting chopper CH1, may be utilized to supply the demodulation system ultimately used to separate the sample electrical signal components (caused by the detector seeing the radiation transmitted through the sample station) and the reference detector electrical signal components, for example, by the means and methods disclosed in the aforementioned British patent and its corresponding copending US. Pat. application. Since the exact type of photometric system (that is, the particular relationship of the splitting chopper CH1 and the recombining chopper CH2) form no part of the-present invention, none of the details of the specific choppers, their common drive, the detector electrical signal processing (i.e., demodulation circuits) or the like are included herein; nor is it intended to be implied that the photometric and detector system of the aforementioned British Patent and corresponding copending US. application is required (although a system of this type is preferred) in a double-beam optical instrument embodying the automatic scanning monochromator of the instant invention.

Similarly, since none of the source optics, the choppers or even the optics between the recombining or second chopper CH2 and the entrance slit ES of the monochromator form any particular part of the inven tion herein, the main purpose of the illustration of the right-hand side and middle portion of FIG. 3 is merely to give an exemplary environment (involving a spectrophotometer) in which the high-precision, long-range automatic scanning monochromator of the present invention may be embodied. Thus, it may be said that only those parts (as hereinafter more specifically described) contained within the monochromator housing 24 (see FIG. 2) and certain parts of the control components, generally contained within the control console 10 (FIG. 1) are directly related to any integral part of the instant invention. Accordingly, those parts shown in FIG. 2 outside of console 10 and housing 24 are intended to be merely exemplary in nature and are therefore not further described, other than to note that a typical sample and reference cell (when the monochromator of the invention is utilized in a double-beam spectrophotometer, for example) are indicated in broken lines in this figure.

Additionally, even the elements within the monochromator housing 24 in FIG. 2 adjacent its right-hand wall 25 do not, per se, form any part of the instant invention (other than to supply a complete environmental exemplary embodiment), and therefore these elements are not further described, since their important functional characteristics have already been described in the detailed description of the optical schematic of FIG. 3. Thus, the more important optical elements directly on the source side of the monochromator in FIG.

.2 (Le, within housing 24 but near the righ-hand wall 25 thereof) are merely referenced in FIG. 2 (with the same reference characters as in FIG. 3); and since their mechanical mounts and the like are also not germane to the instant invention, none of these elements are described. In general, only those elements shown in FIG. 2 that are shown in more detail in FIG. 4 (or in the other higher numbered detailed figures) are sufficiently related to the instant invention as to warrant detailed description. However, it is mentioned that the cam 33 and the cooperating follower 35 on the end of lever 37.

(which are shown in FIG. 2 but not in FIG. 4) represent a preferred embodiment of a slit-width controlling (logarithmic) cam assembly of essentially known type. Except for the fact that the means (e.g., a motor, with or without a gear train, none of which are shown) for driving the cam 33 is itself controlled in a manner which is not conventional in the art, the elements of the slit opening cam assembly (33, 35 and 37) (part of arm 37 which is also shown in FIG. 4) do not in themselves form any part of the instant invention.

Although in one sense, the broad utilization of a filter wheel, as at F W and a drive means for stepping a different filter into the optical path (compare FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) is also not, .in of itself, novel, nevertheless the means for timing or programming the-intermittent rotational driving of filter wheel FW is believed to be novel and does form one of the novel features of the auto matic scanning monochromator of the invention; for this reason, the structure, broadly involving the drive motor 40, its operative driving connection 42 to the rotatable filter wheel, and in particular the manner in which motor 40, connection 42 and the associate elements are controlled, are therefore both shown and described in detail in FIG. 4 (and later FIG. ll) hereinafter. The only other significant elements shown in FIG. 2 that are not described in detail later relative to FIG. 4 (or higher numbered detailed figures) are the already described primary and special detectors TD and SD, respectively, their respective focussing mirrors DM1 and DM2, the movable detector deflecting mirror DD and in particular the schematically illustrated output leads from the primary detector and the special detector at PO and SO, respectively. The detector deflecting mirror DD is preferably mounted so that it may be moved from the position indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 to a position no longer intercepting the radiation issuing from the exit slit XS (and passing through the filter in the operative position OF), so as to allow the radiation toreach the special detector SD via its generally elliptical detector mirror DMZ when the special detector is utilized (e.g., in the very far infrared). Such movement of the detector deflecting mirrorDD may be accomplished, either manually by for example a flexible cable driven by a manual knob or automatically, (for example, by means of a small rotary solenoid or the almost equivalent structure of a motor and a pair of limit switches), schematically shown in FIG. 2 as the detector deflecting mirror rotation means DR, so as to move the detector deflecting mirror DD in a clockwise direction about axis DA, for example, to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2. Obviously when it is in its normal or full line position in FIG. 2, the primary detector PD deflecting mirror DD is in its retracted (clockwise) position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, the special detector SD will receive and detect the monochromatic radiation. Thus, most of the time the primary detector PD will receive the radiation and produce an electrical signal over its output lead, schematically shown at PO, but under special circumstances (e.g., an extremely long infrared), when the mirror DD is in its dotted line retracted position, the special detector Sd will receive the radiation to produce a proportional electrical signal over its electrical output schematically shown at SO.

MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE DISPERSION SYSTEM FIG. 4 shows in greater detail the main elements of the dispersion system, namely, the plurality (e.g., seven) of diffraction gratings and its supporting carousel 30; the wavenumber scanning arm 34 for rotating the particular grating at the operative position OG; the two cam contours for moving this scanning arm by means of its follower 36, namely, a large outside contour 44 and a smaller, substantially concentric cam contour 46, both rigidly formed on the (bottom) large surface of the generally plate shaped cam 32; the filter wheel FW; and at least part of each of the three separate drive means for the grating carousel, the wavenumber scanning cam and the filter wheel indexing motor (40). It should be noted that the cam axis or axle CA (shown both in FIGS. 2 and 4 generally) and the corresponding grating carousel or turret axis or axle TA (in FIGS. 2 and 4) are both formed of high precision low friction ball bearings as may be seen in FIG. 5 (and as to the cam bearing also in FIG. 6). The use of such precise, low friction bearings means directly contributes to the desired precision of the automatic scanning monochromator of the invention. However, since ball bearings per se of course well known, are incorporated in the axles or rotative bearings of the grating turret 30 and the cam plate 32 in a manner requiring only (good) engineering skill, and their exact structure is readily apparent from the detail figures (see FIG. 5), the particular elements of these precision bearings are not specifically described but only the parts (and their operation) supported by these bearings are hereinafter specifically described. Each of the main assemblies of the monochromator (the grating turret or carousel 30, the cam plate 32 along with its two integral different cam contour surfaces 44 and 46, the scanning arm 34 and the manner in which its follower 36 engages one of the cam contours and its other end moves the entire grating carousel so as to tilt the particular grating in the operative position 00 about its own grating axis GA as well as the filter wheel FW, the individual drive means for each of these assemblies, and the operative connections, which are both mechanical and electrical,

between these various assemblies and elements) will now be described in turn.

GRATING TURRET DRIVE As may best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main structural element of the grating turret or carousel 30 comprises a generally cylindrical shaped (open at the top) single casting 50, having an integrally formed hub portion 52 (see FIG. 5). Preferably this intregal turret element 50, 52 includes recesses or holes, so as to reduce its total weight and therefore its total inertia as may be seen at 54 in FIG. 4 and 56 in FIG. 5, for example. Hub

portion 52 and therefore the entire main structural element 50 of the carousel 30 is rigidly and precisely (but in such manner as to allow disassembly) attached to a main grating turret shaft 51 (acting as the turret axis TA), as by means of threads 53 on shaft 51 and a conventional removable nut 55. Shaft 51 is supported by means of upper and lower ball bearings 57 and 59 to a rigid, nonrotatable (relative to axis TA) generally cylindrical or stationary hub member 61, which in turn is rigidly attached (as by being intregal therewith) to a main plate 63.

The bottom of the grating turret hub 52 includes a reduced shoulder portion 58, to which is rigidly attached a relatively large pinion gear 60, so that rotation of pinion 60 will cause rotation of the entire grating turret or

carousel

50, 30. Pinion 60 is in mesh with and driven by a pinion 62, which in turn is rigidly attached to the upper end (65) of vertical central driving shaft 64, which itself is supported as by oilite bearings within a stationary outer shaft or hub 94. The lower end of intermediate driving shaft 64 has rigidly attached thereto a driven bevel gear 66, which in turn is driven by driving bevel gear 68. (Compare FIGS. and 9). As may best be seen in FIG. 9, driving bevel gear 68 is ragidly attached to shaft 70, supported in a bushing 71, which in turn is supported by a depending portion 72 of a bracket or subframe 74 attached to a main mechanism plate or other rigid support 76 as by a threaded bolts or screws 75. Shaft 70 (and therefore

bevel gears

68 and 66, shaft 64, pinions 62 and 60, and therefore the grating turret or carousel 30 itself) is rotated by motor 80, and in particular its output shaft 82, through a releasable clutch 84. Since any type of clutch may be used at 84 to releasably couple the output or driving shaft 82 at the motor to shaft 70 (an electromagnetic clutch being the preferred type), the details of the clutch are not shown. However to better understand the operation of the grating turret or carousel drive mechanism and in particular the manner in which the grating carousel may be moved to any one of the (seven) angular positions so as to place a particular grating in the optically operative position OG (compare FIGS. 2-5), it will be assumed that clutch 84 is electrically actuated, and that its live electrical lead is the wire shown at 86, which may be connected at 87 to (one ofthe) corresponding live wire 88 energizing motor 80, so as to result in a single live input wire 90 energizing both the motor and the clutch simultaneously. Thus, whenever a voltage source is supplied to the common live" input wire 90, both the motor and the clutch will be simultaneously energized; similarly opening of such an energizing circuit including common input 90 will cause de-energizing of the motor (i.e., its stopping) and of the clutch (i.e., its releasing the connection between shafts 82 and 70) simultaneously. In this manner any overrun of the motor (caused by inertia) or subsequent drag of the motor on shaft 70 (when the motor stops) is eliminated as a significant factor affecting the grating turret, since the clutch 84 disengages the motor shaft 82 from the elements indirectly connected to the grating turret or carousel as soon as the clutch is, say, de-energized (obviously the clutch could be designed in the opposite sense so that it couples the shaft 82 to shaft 70 only when it is energized, but it will be assumed that its operation is as just previously stated, solely for exemplary purposes).

As may be seen in both FIGS. 5 and 9, the shaft 64 (forming part of the driving connection between the grating interchange motor and the grating carousel 30, (i.e., main structural turret element 50, which in turn supports at its periphery each of the gratings, say, Gl-G7) is surrounded by a separately rotatable hollow shaft 94 which is rigidly connected to (as being integral therewith) a tappered hollow hub 96, which is rigidly mounted in a thickened portion 76' of lower main mechanism plate 76 as by nut 97. Hollow shaft 94 rotatably supports the wavenumber scanning arm 34 (compare FIGS. 4 and 5) by means of upper and

lower ball bearings

67,69 which allow the rotatable depending cylindrical portion 34 (or 400) which is rigidly connected to (e.g., integral with) the scanning arm 34. As previously noted relative to FIG. 4, the opposite ends of the wavenumber scanning arm are operatively connected respectively at one end (through a follower 36) to one of the

cam contours

44,46 of cam 32, and at the other end to the grating carousel (through portion 34' and elements 63 and 61) so as to tilt the opera tive grating (assumed to be grating G1 in the particular position of the

grating carousel

30,50 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Before describing in detail, the manner in which the scanning arm 34 is so connected at its other (right-hand) end to one of the contour surfaces of cam 32, as may be seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, how the main driving element of the scanning arm, namely, the cam 32 and its various connected parts are rotatively mounted and driven will first be described. Accordingly, the cam assembly will first be described relative to its general showing in FIG. 4 and its more detailed showing in FIG. 5 and (as to its driving connection) in FIG. 10.

(WAVENUMBER) CAM DRIVE As may best be seen in FIG. 5, the plate-like cam 32 is rotatively supported, as by being removably fastened to the upper end of supporting rotatable shaft 100, as by providing a threaded portion 93 on the upper end of the shaft and a conventional cooperating nut 95 (as with the corresponding conventional fastening means indicated for the grating shaft at 53,55, a conventional or lock washer, shown but not referenced, may also be provided). Preferably the aperture 97 in cam 34'and the mating upper end 99 of shaft 100 have complementary tapers to insure precise centering of cam 32 relative to shaft 100. The shaft 100 may be precisely rotatably supported as by

precision bearings

97,99 relative to a generally cylindrical, stationary supporting structure 102, which is in turn rigid (as by being integral) with the main mechanism plate 76. The rotatable cambearing shaft 100 has rigidly attached thereto (below the mechanism plate 76) a driven worm wheel 106 (as by spacer 103 and nut 105). Worm wheel 106 is driven by a worm drive assembly 110, the main (driving) element of which is a main worm 108 (compare FIGS. 5 and 10). As may best be seen in FIG. 10, main worm 108 is non-rotatably attached (as by means of a pin or the like, not shown) to main driving shaft 112, so that rotation of shaft 112 will cause worm 108 to drivingly rotate (at a much slower angular rate) worm wheel 106, and therefore cam shaft 100 and the main cam plate 32. The shaft 112 may be driven by any convenient (preferably adjustable in ratio) speed reduction means, generally indicated at 114 which in turn is driven by an electric motor (not shown), preferably a

Claims

1. In an automatic scanning monochromator system of the type comprising at least two primary dispersive elements on a common mounting means which mounting means is movably supported on a supporting means so as to be operably driven by a prime mover having a power source, the improvement comprising: position sensing means, one element of which is directly connected to said mounting means and another relatively movable element which is directly connected to said supporting means; so that a signal is available specifically indicating the relative positions of the mounting means and therefore the plurality of dispersive elements thereon, and a control circuit operatively connected to the output of the said position sensing means; one of the outputs of said control circuit being operatively connected to the power source driving said prime mover; whereby the control circuit is adapted to cause the prime moVer to move said common mounting means to a particular predetermined position, so as to place a particular one of said dispersive elements into a fixed operative position.

2. An automatic scanning monochromator system according to claim 1, further comprising: an angular positioning means operatively connected so as to angularly tilt at least said particular one of said dispersive elements in said operative position about a pivot axis; at least one encoder operatively connected to said angular positioning means, the relatively moving elements of said encoder being so connected to said angular positioning means as to indicate the relative condition of said angular positioning means at the output of said encoder; said output of said encoder being operatively connected to said control circuit, said control circuit thereby receiving an indication of the angle of tilt of said particular dispersive element; said control circuit also comprising means when said angle of tilt as indicated by said encoder output reaches a given final value for causing said prime mover to move said common mounting means.

3. In an automatic scanning monochromator system of the type comprising at least two primary dispersive elements on a common mounting means which mounting means is movably supported on a supporting means so as to be operably driven by a prime mover having a power source, at least three secondary spectrally active elements mounted on a movable carrier and means for moving said carrier, the improvement comprising: a first position sensing means, one element of which is directly connected to said mounting means and another relatively movable element which is directly connected to said supporting means; a second position sensing means, one element of which is directly connected to said carrier means and another element of which is directly connected to a relatively fixed element, so that signals are available specifically indicating the relative position of the mounting means and the relative position of the carrier and therefore of the secondary spectrally active elements; and a control circuit operatively connected to the output of both said first and second position sensing means; one of the outputs of said control circuit being operatively connected to the power source energizing said prime mover driving said primary dispersive element mounting means; another of the outputs of said control circuit being operatively connected to the means for moving said carrier of said secondary, spectrally-active elements; whereby the control circuit is adapted to cause both said prime mover and said carrier moving means to move each of said common mounting means and said carrier means to a respective particular predetermined position, thereby placing a particular one of said primary dispersive elements into a first operative position and moving a particular one of said secondary spectrally active elements into a second operative position.

4. An automatic scanning monochromator according to claim 3, further comprising: an angular positioning means operatively connected so as to angularly tilt at least said particular one of said primary dispersive elements in said first operative position about a pivot axis; at least one encoder operatively connected to said angular position means, the relatively moving elements of said encoder being so connected to said angular positioning means as to indicate the relative condition of said angular positioning means at the output of said encoder; said output of said encoder being operatively connected to said control circuit, said control circuit thereby receiving an indication of the angle of tilt of said particular dispersive element; said control circuit also comprising means, when said angle of tilt of said particular dispersive element reaches a given final value as indicated by said encoder output, to cause said one output of said control circuit to energize said prime movEr to move said common mounting means, thereby moving a different one of said primary dispersive elements into said first operative position; said control circuit further comprising means, when said angle of tilt of said particular dispersive element reaches an intermediary predetermined value as indicated by said encoder output, to cause said another output of said control circuit to actuate said means for moving said carrier to move said carrier, thereby moving a different one of said secondary spectrally active elements into said second operative position.

5. In an automatic scanning monochromator system of the type comprising at least two primary dispersive elements on a common mounting means which mounting means is movably supported on a supporting means so as to be operably driven by a prime mover, an angular positioning means operatively connected so as to angularly tilt at least one of said dispersive elements about a known axis the improvement comprising: at least one encoder operatively connected to said angular positioning means, the relatively moving elements of said encoder being so connected to said angular positioning means as to indicate the relative condition of said angular positioning means; a motor drivingly connected to said angular positioning means for driving said angular positioning means, thereby tilting said dispersive element; a comparator receiving the output of said encoder and an operator selected wavenumber setting, which supplies a signal when the encoder output matches said selected wavenumber setting; and control circuit means, the input of which is operatively connected to said comparator and the output of which is operatively connected to said motor to stop said motor when said comparator determines said matching of said encoder output and said operator selected wavenumber setting.

6. An automatic scanning monochromator system according to claim 5, in which: said encoder comprises a low speed encoder for determining the approximate position of said angular positioning means and a high speed encoder for determining to a high degree of precision the exact location of said angular positioning means.

7. An automatic scanning monochromator system according to claim 6, in which: a numerical readout means is provided for indicating the spectral characteristic of the radiation dispersed by the particular dispersive element being operated, at its particular tilted position as controlled by said angular positioning means, the output of said encoder means being operatively connected to said numerical readout means, whereby the numerical readout means directly indicates the actual tilted position of said particular dispersive element and therefore the spectral characteristic of the radiation actually being dispersed by the particular dispersive element at its particular tilt angle, rather than the spectral characteristic merely intended to be dispersed.

8. An automatic scanning monochromator system according to claim 5 in which: said angular positioning means comprises a scanning arm and a rotatable cam means and said encoder is operably connected to said cam means, whereby said encoder reads the angular position of said cam means.

9. An automatic scanning monochromator system according to claim 8 in which: said cam means comprises two different cam contour surfaces, each of which may be operatively engaged by said scanning arm; means for operatively moving said scanning arm so as to engage either of said cam contour surfaces; signal generating means operatively connected to said arm switching means for indicating which of said two contour surfaces said scanning arm is actually engaging, the output of said signal generating means being connected to said control circuit, whereby said control circuit determines from the position of said cam as indicated by said encoder and which of its two contour surfaces are being used, the actual tilt angle of said dispErsive element and therefore the spectral characteristic of said dispersed radiation.